KENNEWICK — The Everett Silvertips once again found a way.
Bryce Kindopp’s second goal of the game came with just 18 seconds remaining and broke a late tie as the Silvertips topped the Tri-City Americans 4-3 in Western Hockey League action Sunday at Toyota Center.
“We told our guys that we can go out there and compete like we know how and stick together through the highs and lows, or we can got out there and accept defeat and use the excuse of playing three(-games)-in-three (nights),” head coach Dennis Williams said in a post-game phone interview. “But I give our guys lots of credit because they stuck to it and maintained their compete level. There were times the puck was in our zone for a minute at a time, but we kept it outside and worked it out.”
The Silvertips (19-12-1-1, 40 points) have won nine straight and moved just one point back of first-place Portland in the U.S. Division standings.
Everett also finished off a stretch of four wins in five nights as goaltender Dustin Wolf won his third game of the year by spelling Carter Hart.
Wolf finished with 29 saves as Tri-City (15-10-3-0, 33 points) outshot Everett 32-22.
Tri-City trailed 3-2 through two periods, but Michael Rasmussen tipped a shot from Juuso Valimaki to tie the game 3-3 at 4:07 on the power play.
It was the Americans’ third power-play goal of the game as the Tips took an uncharacteristic seven penalties.
“There were some penalty calls that we definitely deserved, some trips that were because we were lazy and tired,” Williams said. “We were making mental mistakes, getting on the wrong side of pucks. We need to control our stick. We didn’t do ourselves any favors there.”
The Americans had previously taken the lead with their second power-play goal of the game when Maxwell James tipped in a shot at 5:31 of the second period.
But the Silvertips answered with back-to-back power-play goals of their own to reclaim the lead at 3-2.
Everett’s initial power-play goal from Kindopp tied the game 2-2 at 8:18. Then Everett native Wyatte Wylie teed up a one-timer during a 5-on-3 chance to regain the lead for Everett at 14:57 as Everett led 3-2 heading into the third period.
Riley Sutter gave Everett a 1-0 lead when he jammed a loose puck past Beck Warm from the top of the crease at 10:35 in the first period.
It was Sutter’s 10th goal of the season.
But Rasmussen’s shot from the slot beat Wolf on the power play to tie the game 1-1 at 14:29 in the first period.
Kindopp also had an assist. Jake Christiansen and Sean Richards each had two assists.
The Tips return to action Friday at Spokane. Everett has home games Saturday and Sunday before the WHL takes its week-long holiday break.
Silvertips 4, Americans 3
Everett 1 2 1—4
Tri-City 1 1 1—3
1st Period—1, Everett, Sutter 10 (Richards, Bajkov), 10:35. 2, Tri-City, Rasmussen 13 (Geekie), 14:29 (PP). Penalties-served by Centazzo Evt (too many men), 2:08; Ormsby Evt (hooking), 12:33; Krebs Tc (interference), 18:46.
2nd Period—3, Tri-City, James 5 (Johnson, Olson), 5:31 (PP). 4, Everett, Kindopp 8 (Richards, Christiansen), 8:18 (PP). 5, Everett, Wylie 2 (Christiansen, Kindopp), 14:57 (PP). Penalties-Richards Evt (boarding), 4:01; Clayton Tc (high sticking), 6:55; Butt Evt (roughing), 11:23; Johnson Tc (high sticking), 12:58; Focht Tc (delay of game), 13:26; Walker Evt (tripping), 16:39; Bajkov Evt (tripping), 18:32.
3rd Period—6, Tri-City, Rasmussen 14 (Välimäki, Geekie), 4:07 (PP). 7, Everett, Kindopp 9 (Walker), 19:42. Penalties-Ormsby Evt (tripping), 3:45; Rasmussen Tc (slashing), 10:00.
Shots on Goal—Everett 4-9-9-22. Tri-City 13-8-11-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Everett 2/5; Tri-City 3/7.
Goalies-Everett, Wolf 3-1-0-0 (32 shots-29 saves). Tri-City, Warm 8-5-0-0 (22 shots-18 saves).
A—3,002
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